American software company Adobe developed the Portable Document Format in 1993 to present documents that could be used independently of application software, hardware, and operating systems. Today, PDF is one of the most widely used file formats on the planet. Find out how to master using PDFs in the following ultimate guide.
How to Convert Files
The most significant benefit of PDFs is that they maintain your chosen formatting. It’s simple to convert files into PDFs. For example, to save a Word document as a PDF, you simply click “Save As” and then select the “PDF” file format. However, converting PDFs into other documents can be a little more complex. Although it’s excellent that PDFs maintain the formatting, it can make editing them tricky. Whether for business or a personal project, there will be times when you need to edit or update the content of a PDF in another format, such as a Word Doc or Docx format. Not long ago, your only option was to retype the content of the PDF. But now, you can convert a PDF to Word format within seconds by using a free, easy-to-use online PDF to word converter.
How to Sign a PDF
A while ago, if you wanted to add a signature to a PDF, you would need to print it out, sign it, and rescan it. Thankfully, that time-consuming method is no longer necessary. Business transactions do not need to be held up by such menial tasks. Adobe Acrobat enables you to set up fields within PDFs, so anybody with access can add specific text. That means PDFs can easily be signed electronically. You could also set fields to allow others to add elements like the date or multiple-choice answers.
How to Add Annotations and Comments to a PDF
With Adobe Acrobat, you can also make annotations and leave comments on PDFs, which is helpful if the file is being passed on to someone else. To make annotations and comments, select the relevant text, right-click for options like “Add Bookmark” and “Add Note to Replace Text,” and select the option you require. Simple.
How to Convert a PDF Image
If you work with PDF images that you need to share with others, you could experience problems. Although PDF images are high resolution and an excellent format for maintaining image crispness, the size of the files makes them difficult to send via email, especially because so many people now use mobile devices. One answer is to convert the PDF into a JPG file. JPGs are easy to open and save on all types of devices. Also, most project management tools are better equipped for handling JPGs than PDFs. Another option is to convert your PDF image into a PNG format. You can convert PDF images via Adobe Acrobat or online conversion tools.
How to Protect PDFs
If you’re worried about the security of PDFs, you don’t need to be. Adobe Acrobat provides various ways to protect, encrypt, and restrict access to PDFs. Simply go to “Tools” and then “Protection” to choose the protective measures you want to implement.
How to Combine Many Files into One PDF
It’s often helpful to package all of your PDFs into one cohesive whole. If you have several PDFs, you can combine them all into one file in Adobe Acrobat by selecting “Click File” and then choosing “Create.” Select “Combine Files into a Single PDF,” and voila, you have saved yourself hours of cutting and pasting.
